Break
by Xinthos
Summary: This was her life, this was the path she chose, this was her mission… and she wouldn’t fail to complete it. [OneShot]


**A/N:** Not a humor fic like I usually write, but after reading the works of fellow authors this kind of popped into my head. Anyway, I hope you like it. Writing it was… different, to say the least, but if I plan to be any type of writer when I get older than I have to learn to be flexible.

**Summary: **This was her life, this was the path she chose, this was her mission… and she wouldn't fail to complete it. One-Shot

**Break **

When they first told her that he was coming back, they weren't sure what to expect. They couldn't even begin to predict her reaction, what she would think, what she would do. Whatever they were thinking, it certainly wasn't this. Calmly, she had accepted the mission, it was her job after all, and walked from the room to prepare herself.

Sakura walked onto the battlefield already knowing what was going to be the outcome. A few years ago, she might not have come. A few years ago, she might have cried when she heard the news. A few years ago, she wouldn't have been able to do her job. But this was her life, this was the path she chose, this was her mission… and she wouldn't fail to complete it. She looked to her right and saw several of her friends, her comrades, the people who had been there when he hadn't. The people she might die trying to protect. The way they were standing was perfectly strategic, she knew, but she couldn't help find it ironic that the people she knew most encircled her; Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Hinata, Neji, Kiba, and Shino... But she knew that it had to be that way, with her in the center. Naruto wouldn't have it any other way.

The enemy army approached from beyond the hilltop, making their way to the battlefield slower than she had thought they would come. They didn't try to stealth, just as her friends didn't. Immediately they launched into battle, kunai's finding their ways out of pouches and into sweaty hands, and further into the enemies body. Ino was off fighting four at a time, though having two of Orochimaru's minions fight themselves just made it easier. On her right were Kiba and Akamaru, who were currently moving too fast to really be anything more than a blur. Neji and Hinata were attacking, their backs to each other, and she couldn't help but find it interesting that they had immediately ended up like that. After all, with Neji blood had never been thicker than water when it came to Hinata.

Though Shino couldn't be seen from her point of view, Chouji was currently barreling through enemies like they were nothing but twigs, easily broken. Shikamaru was fighting off to the side, closer the forest and his deadly shadows. Two people seemed to have fallen victim to him, though they didn't know it yet. Naruto was the farthest off, and she hurried to catch up to him, crushing anyone that got in her way. She was supposed to be healing her friends, but clearly they didn't need her help at the moment. This was her fight just as much as it was theirs. The loud explosions were hard to miss, and their shouting only made them more obvious. Sakura was suddenly glad that she wasn't Sasuke; Naruto was never one to go down easy.

Way off towards town she knew that Orochimaru was waging his war against Tsunade and Jiraiya, but even if she had wanted to interfere with that there was no way she could have made it out alive. Finally seeing Naruto and Sasuke in the distance, she went into stealth mode and made her way quickly, silently through the trees. For now, she would have to watch at a distance. She wasn't too vain to admit that he was still out of her league at full power, but even if Naruto wasn't able to beat him, he could surely weaken him enough for her to fight him equally. If she was lucky, she might not even have to fight, Naruto had a pretty even chance of winning, or at least rendering him paralyzed. If he wasn't able to move, killing him would just be that much easier. Sakura winced when Naruto took a particularly strong blow and flew to the ground, though he immediately bounced back up.

Finally, she knew that the climax of this fight was coming. They screamed something to each other that was just out of hearing range, something important she guessed. Something that was no doubt about her and about the village. Whatever it was that Naruto had screamed, it drove Sasuke into an absurd rage as he yelled something about power and about his brother. The whole world seemed to be made out of light as the Chidori and Rasengan made contact, the explosion carrying far enough to have to make her move back. As soon as it was over, however, she quickly bounded from tree to tree, inching towards the battle. Naruto lay, eyes closed, slumped against a tree. He was breathing. Sasuke had been a bit luckier, or maybe unluckier depending on the amount of pain he was in, which she guessed was a lot. He was conscious, though barely.

Sakura approached him, wary of him even though he was on his hands and knees out in the open. Blood gushed from his arm and one of his hands, but still he was grinning in victory. It made her wonder what she had found so appealing about this boy who was so clearly obsessed with destruction. She wouldn't bother trying to conceal her presence, there was no way he could have fought her with a broken leg and an arm in a condition that bad.

"Sakura." He spoke, though she knew he hadn't turned around to look at her. She stood where she was, on the edge of the forest and leaning against a tree.

"It looks like you haven't changed much." Sasuke said bitterly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." She replied, turning towards the tree and flicking it. He watched in amazement as it splintered and cracked, falling over. Of course, it was hard to be surprised for long when she had stuck a knife in his lung...And hereeveryone had thought she would hesitate. They thought she wouldn't go through with this… she wouldn't fail to prove them wrong. He bent over in surprise, falling over onto his side and coughing up blood onto the dirty ground.

"I thought you-" He said, but couldn't make himself say much more than that as it was growing harder and harder to breathe, let alone talk.

"I did." Sakura said, already knowing what he was going to say. In his last moments of life, Sasuke couldn't have been more surprised at her. He had always thought she would stay the same, but then again it wasn't really fair of him to expect that of her. But still, he couldn't help but wonder…

"Wh-what… happened to you…?" He asked.

A few years ago, she might have cracked under the emotion in his voice. A few years ago, she might have tried to heal him instead of hurt him. A few years ago, killing him would have made her fall apart but…

"I grew up."

This time around she wouldn't break so easily.

**A/N:** Well, there we go folks, my first angst fic. I hope you like it, though I thought that it got awkward somewhere around the middle. I did like the ending though. And for those of you who didn't figure it out, Sasuke was trying to say, "I thought you loved me" but I thought that sounded too un-Sasuke-like or too obvious... whatever... Don't forget to review!


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